Drier for reels of textile fibers



March 9, 1954 G. n uNE DRIER FOR REELSIOF' TEXTILE FIBERS 5 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Nov. 2, 1951 /v vi /vraR Geen Ges /L UNE:

March 9, 1954 Q UNE DRIER FOR REELS OF TEXTILE FIBERS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV. 2 1951 AT TOR/Vey March 9, 1954 Q 1| UNE 2,671,276

DRIER FOR REELs 0F TEXTILE FIBERS Filed Nov. 2, 1951 s sneetssheet s Patented Mar. 9, 1954 UNITED STATES RTEN' OFFICE Application November 2, 195i, Serial No. 254,489

I-Ciairns priority, application France November 14, 1950 This invention relates to :a drier for :reels or 'bobbins of textile bres, and .particularly cotton yarn.

Since the drying of any 4given material depends on many Variable factors, methods have 'been suggested whereby it is possible to render .all such factors, with the exception lof one only, practically constant, so that the resulting drying .process will then depend upon only one variable, and will become easily controllable and accurately adjustable. Generally speaking, such a drying process involving a single variable factor may consist Aof Ymaintaining both `following sets of conditions constant throughout at least part :of the drying operation, namely: on the one hand the rate of flow and the temperature of the drying medium such as air, and on the other hand, the amount of fluid to be eliminated which is actually lremoved per unit time from the material to be dried are made constant, whereby the sole remaining variable of the process will be Ath-e difference 'between the vapor tensions of the uid to be removed as measured between `the interior of the material and within the drying medium (e. g. air) surrounding said material.

It is the essential object of this `invention to provide an improved drier especially adapted for carrying methods of the above-outlined character into practice. Another object is to provide an improved drier for textile iibres, and more especially for cotton yar-n or thread reeled in the form of bobbins or spools.

A drier according to the invention comprises two circuits for the drying medium, nam-ely a rlrst or circulation circuit in which the `drying medium, delivered at a constant rate and ata constant temperature, is caused to surround the external surfaces of the spools to be dried arranged Within a drying chamber, and a second or suction circuit in which the drying medium is sucked through the spools, separator means'being provided wherein the drying medium is caused to give up the water contained therein, prior to its being recycled into the first or circulation circuit.

According to the invention, the drying medium, in the suction circuit, wherein it is sucked through the spools, is preferably aspirated Afrom the periphery towards the centre thereof, so that the velocity of flow of the drying medium through the spools will gradually increase, thereby assuring a vigorous evaporation from the core of the spools and preventing the contact of heated dry air in the area where the yarn is in contact with the metal of thetube comprising ksaid core.

In a preferred form of the invention, the spools 11Clam. (Cl. .S4-44) of yarn to be dried are placed in each drying chamber on a support or rack rotatably suspended from .the roof lof said chamber, means being provided Afor rotating said rack throughout thev drying operation without requiring the cover to be lifted to-open the chamber.

The objects, features and advantages -of the invention will appear from the ensuing description and from the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, which illustrate .by Way of example one form of construction of a drier embodying the invention.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of the drier,

Fig. 2 is a corresponding plan,

Fig. 3 is a side view corresponding to Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic side View of a -ma'terial-supporting rack,

Fig. 5 is a plan corresponding to Fig. 4,

Fig. 6 is an -enlarged elevational view oi one spool-supporting shank of the rack,

Fig. 7 is-a planview of Fig. 6,

Fig. 8 is a View in elevation, partly broken away, illustra-ting one form of the means for suspending the rack from the roof or cover of the drying chamber, and

Fig. 9 is a View similar to Fig. 8 showing a modified construction of the rack suspension means.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 3, the improved drier is Ishown as comprising two drying chambers l communica-ting through conduits 2 each controlled by a valve -or gate 3 with a battery 4 vof heating elements. Delivered into the latter through Ia by-pass connection 5 provided with a control valve t is the fluid here termed the drying medium, such as air, which is to effect the drying of the thread placed in the chambers l, said drying medium being impelled by a blower or fan 1.

With the arrangement shown, a iirst or .socalled circulation circuit is provided yfor .the vdry-- ing medium `such that the vdrying medium, `which is irst heated as it flows through the battery of heating elements t, is delivered into the drying chambers I, and there heats the spools contained within said chambers, evaporatng a certain amount of the kmoisture contained in the spools.

Mounted in each drying chamber is va material supporting rack more `clearly shown in Figs. 4 and `5, provided with a .hollow irustoconical base 8 connecting through Aa cylindrical section 9 with a conduit 'Ill delivering into a water separator il I, provided with a control valve I2, the dryingme- 3 dium being sucked out of the separator by means of a suction fan I3.

The arrangement thus described provides a second or so termed suction circuit or for the drying medium, this circuit communicating with the circulation circuit through conduits I4 which deliver as shown in Fig. 3 into the outlet scroll of the blower 1.

As a result of the arrangement described, the drying medium is energetically sucked through the spools placed in the drying chambers I by the suction fan I3, so that, as long as the moisture content of the spools is still high, part of the moisture is caused by the strong suction eiect to be removed from the spools and discharged into the separator means II wherein it is separated from the drying medium and is caused to accumulate in the separator. The water thus accumulated can be evacuated from the separator means by any suitable means, such as a pump or a free flow syphon arrangement.

Inasmuch as the drying medium is caused to traverse the spools from the periphery thereof inwards, the flow Velocity of the medium through the spools obviously increases. It is to be noted that the core of the spool retains more moisture than the peripheral part thereof, thus protecting it against the discoloration which might result from the heat, as would occur if the core, usually made of metal, where heated to an excessive temperature and Would remain in contact with dry yarn.

For removing moisture from the drying medium there is provided a condenser I5 mounted in parallel with the main circuit and having its inlet controlled by a gate I6.

If the valve I6 or any one of the conduit sections is periodically opened and closed, the drying medium flowing through the drier will be resaturated after each passage through the condenser I5. This makes it possible to reduce the heat-exchange area of the condenser and to operate the apparatus at a higher mean temperature, which is desirable for the recovery of the heated cooling water.

'Ihe above-described apparatus is highly suitable for automatic operation. To that end, there may be provided an automatic regulator I1 adapted to be traversed by the condensate owing from conduit I8 and acting through the medium of a float and adjusting device I9 on a valve 20 controlling the delivery of cooling Water into the condenser I5. If the amount oi condensed water varies, the rate of delivery of cooling water will also vary, so that the condenser I 5 will be obliged to condense the same amount of moisture transferred from the material to be dried into the drying medium.

At the outlet from condenser I5, the heated water is discharged by a pipe 20 to the point of disposal or use.

As concerns the battery of heating elements I, this is supplied with heating fluid through a conduit 2| provided with a thermostat valve 22 having a temperature responsive probe or feeler 23 for maintaining at the inlet of the drying chambers I a constant temperature in the drying medium throughout the effective drying period. The rate of delivery of said drying medium can be maintained at a constant or a controlled value by the selective operation of the respective control valves 3, 6, I2 and I6. The median heating fluid issues from the battery of heating elements through the conduit 24 provided with a valve 25.

As already mentioned, the initial element of the suction circuit of the drier is the material supporting rack mounted in each drying chamber I. According to the invention, each rack (Figs. 4 to 6) comprises a hollow frustoconical base 8, having a cone angle of e. g. about to This design facilitates the construction and increases the eiiiciency of the rack, as well as that of the drier, in that it reduces the loss of heat sustained by the drying medium iiowing through it, and also balances the suction through the spools which are threaded on uniformly spaced vertical shanks generally designated by the reference 26 in Figs. 4 and 5, said Shanks projecting upwards from the base 8.

Each shank may as shown consist of a rod 21 having three ns 28 welded to it. The drying medium flowing through the spool and in between the ns flows into the hollow base 8 whence it passes through conduit 9 into conduit I0 of the driers suction circuit.

The base 8 is centrally provided with a suspension rod 30 formed at its top with a suspension ring portion 3| whereby the rack can be suspended from the roof or lid 32 of the chamber.

While the rack can, according to the invention, be suspended in stationary condition from the chamber roof 32 or may be simply placed upon the conduit I Il, it is preferred to make suitabie provision for rotating said rack throughout the drying operation within the chamber, in order to improve the distribution of the moving drying medium in the circulating circuit, and provide an equal evaporation of water from the surface of all the spools as well as more eilicient heating of said spools. To the end that the rack may be thus rotated, as shown in Fig. 8, the cover 32 of each drying chamber I is centrally provided with an internally screw threaded bushing 33 iitted with a handle 34 and connected to said cover through interposed friction washers 35 or similar members. Mounted in bushing 33 is a threaded rod 36 provided at its lower end with a hook 37 preferably pivoted thereto on a pin 38, and the rod 36 at its upper end being attached to an operating handle 39 or the like.

With this arrangement, it is possible, by maintaining the bushing 33 stationary with the handle 3Q, to raise the rack suspended from the ring 3| and hook 37; and it is also possible when required to rotate the rack by acting on handles 34 and 39. A sealing strip of leather, rubber or the like, is preferably provided for maintaining the seal between the cylindrical conduit 9 of the base 8 and the conduit I 0 While the rack is being raised as described.

In the modified arrangement shown in Fig. 9, the handles 3l?. and 39 are replaced by an electric motor it@ operating the rod 35 which for this purpose is provided with a nut 4I and a blocknut 0:2, the drive being effected through a bevel bearing 43 and lill acting as a speed reducer.

While only one form of construction of my iinproved drier has been illustrated and described, many modifications may be made therein within the scope of definition of the claim.

What I claim is:

Drying apparatus comprising a drying chamber, hollow mounting means in said chamber for the substantially cylindrical bodies of a fibrous material to be dried and surrounding said mounting means, an inlet into and a first outlet from said chamber, a heater, a condenser, means for circulating a drying medium through said heater into said outlet across said chamber past the periphery of said bodies and from said chamber through said rst outlet into said condenser and therefrom back into said heater, a moisture separator, means for circulating said fluid from within said chamber through said cylindrical bodies into said hollow means, from here through said second outlet and through said separator into said condenser, a conduit by-passing said condenser, Valve means for controlling the relative ow through said condenser and said by-pass conduit and means for automatically regulating the delivery of cooling Water into said condenser in response to the amount of condensate discharged therefrom.

GEORGES ILUNE.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Number m Number Name Date Krantz May 17, 1927 Abbott May 5, 1936 McConnell Nov. 10, 1936 Sando Dec. 15, 1936 Drum et al Aug. 29, 1944 Karrer et al Sept. 18, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Feb. 5, 1898 Great Britain Jan. 5, 1933 Great Britain Mar. 22, 1934 Great Britain July 4, 1939 Germany Oct. 1, 1932 

